Seat supporting bracket



May 0, 1952 E. B. MORGAN ET AL 2,597,255

SEAT SUPPORTING BRACKET I Filed Aug. 28, 1950 25 If; g2 1'1 1 7 22 "114 20 2 16 g 1. 20. g Z8 Z8 Z7 18 3 14: m Z27" llll" I I 2.5-- 26 1.9 2 15- 18' l INVENTOR. E5 5 .Z'rdaz'ng .5. Morgan "JJ "I"? Aley zz nder J; Placheckz .MM I worezey Patented May 20, 1952 SEAT SUPPORTING BRACKET Erving B. Morgan and Alexander J. Plachecki, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignors to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 28, 1950, Serial No. 181,834

3 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to brackets and more particularly to chair seat supporting brackets.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide an improved expansible bracket having spaced apart arms and means whereby one of said arms may be angularly moved or adjusted relative to the other arm; and more specifically to provide an improved seat supporting bracket for supporting the rearward edge of a seat panel in snug engagement with a flange on the seat frame extending forwardly above said rearward edge of the seat panel.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a chair to which the new bracket is applicable;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional View of parts thereof taken on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a further enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional View of parts thereof taken on lines 3-3 of Figures 1 and 2, the parts being shown in their positions just prior to final assembly of the seat to the frame; and

Figure 4 is a similar fragmentary sectional view showing the parts after final assembly.

Referring now in detail to these drawings wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals in the several views, the chair shown in Figure 1 generally comprises a sheet metal frame I which supports a seat panel H of plywood or other suitable material and a back formed by back slats I2, I 3. The seat-supportingpart of the frame has an inwardly projecting flange 14 extending across the front and rearwardly on both sides of the seat by means of which the forward part of the seat panel II is supported and to which the seat panel is secured by rivets IS.

The seat-supporting part of the chair frame I0 also has a back rail l6 provided with a forwardly extending flange I! along its upper edge, and the rearward edge of the seat panel II is adapted to abut against the underside of this flange II. This arrangement provides a metal shield for the rearward edge of the plywood seat panel so that it cannot become scuffed and splintered by the footwear of a person seated in the rear of this chair.

Formerly the seat panel II was supported in the rear by ordinary right angle brackets having vertical flanges welded to the back rail l6 and horizontal flanges extendingforwardly under the rear of the seat panel. The disadvantage of that arrangement was that, due to variations in the positioning of the brackets and also due to variations in the thickness of the seat panels, there frequently occurred a slight gap between the flange i1 and the seat panel, which gap constituted a pinching hazard. The present invention eliminates such hazard.

Two of the new brackets l8 are provided for supporting the seatpanel H in the rear, as shown in Figure 2. However, inasmuch as these brackets are identical only one is described in detail. This bracket I8 is formed from a bendable metal strip, which is bent transversely to form a base 59, a first or forwardly extending arm 20, an upwardly extending bight 2 l, and a second or rearwardly extending arm 22. The lower, forwardly extending arm 20 is also bent in the longitudinal direction of the metal strip to form a curved bow 23 which gives rigidity to this arm 20. The forwardly extending arm 2|! is also provided with a threaded opening 24 therein.

The upwardly extending bight 2| of the bracket has voids 25 therein by means of which the bight 2| is rendered more springable thus to permit angular movement of the second or rearwardly extending arm 22 relative to the first or forwardly extending arm 20. The upper rearwardly extending arm 22 is provided with an embossment or dimple 26 in which seats the shank end of a screw 2'! threadedly disposed in the threaded opening 24 in the forwardly extending arm 20. It will thus be seen that an expansible bracket is provided which is well adapted to use as hereinafter described in supporting a chair seat.

The brackets I8 have their base portions l9 secured as by spot welding indicated at 28 to the forward surface of the back rail I6 of the chair. The seat panel ll having been properly positioned on the seat frame and having been secured in the front by means of the rivets l5, screws 21 on brackets l8 are turned upwardly against the upper, rearwardly extending arms 22 of said brackets. The arms 22, abutting against the rearward under surface of the seat panel II, are thus forced upwardly carrying the rearward edge of the seat panel upwardly into snug engagement with the forwardly extending flange I! on the back rail l6, and thus eliminating any pinching hazard.

While but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described it will be understood that numerous details may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a seat structure: a seat panel; a supporting frame for the seat panel provided with an upstanding back rail extending across the rear of the frame and having a forwardly extending upper flange thereon against the underside of which the upper rearward edge of the seat panel is adapted to abut; a seat bracket secured to the upstanding back rail beneath the rearward edge of the seat panel said bracket extending forwardly then upwardly and finally rearwardly adjacent the rearward edge of the seat to form spaced apart forwardly and rearwardly extending arms the forwardly extending arm having a threaded opening therein and being substantially rigid, and the rearwardly extending arm being bendable relative to the forwardly extending arm; and a screw extending upwardly through the threaded opening in the brackets forwardly extending arm into abutting engagement with the underside of the brackets rearwardly extending arm whereby advancement of the screw urges said rearwardly extending arm upwardly against the under rearward edge of the seat panel thereby forcing said rearward edge of the seat panel upwardly into snug engagement with the forwardly extending upper flange of the back rail.

2. An expansible bracket comprising a bendable metal strip bent transversely to form spaced apart arms connected by a bight, the first of said arms being rendered substantially rigid by bending the same longitudinally of the strip and being provided with a threaded aperture therethrough said bight being springable to permit angular movement of the second arm relative to the first arm, and a screw extending through the threaded opening of the first arm with its shank end abutting the second arm whereby advancement of the screw increases the angle between said arms.

3. An expansible bracket comprising a bendable metal strip bent transversely to form spaced apart arms connected by a bight, the first of said arms being rendered substantially rigid by bending the same longitudinally of the strip and being provided with a threaded aperture therethrough said bight being springable to permit angular movement of the second arm relative to the first arm, a base projecting angularly from the first arm's end opposite said bight, and a screw extending through the threaded opening of the first arm with its shank end abutting the second arm whereby advancement of the screw increases the angle between said arms.

ERVING B. MORGAN. ALEXANDER J. PLACHECKI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,867,276 McIntyre July 12, 1932 2,250,030 Morgan July 22, 1941 

